A White House official said Sebelius informed Obama in early March of her intent to leave. She was present at Obama’s healthcare law victory speech earlier this month, but was not publicly thanked by the president at that time.

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After a reporter pointed that out to Carney on Friday, the press secretary quickly went on the defensive.

"That's pretty lame," Carney said. "The president gave you plenty of sound ... today on his feelings of Secretary Sebelius and her service, and you got it pretty clearly."

The president did acknowledge there were hardships that he and Sebelius worked through but ultimately credited her for helping the White House get more than 7 million individuals enrolled in the healthcare exchanges.